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J. BRYANT.

FENCE; No. 317,495. Patented May 12, 1885'.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BRYANT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,495, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed October 24, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in fences; and it consists in a rail made of sheet metal, having a bead formed in the center thereof and extending along its length, openings being made in the upper and lower sides of the head to admit of the insertion of the 1 pickets with a bent portion at the ends; and

it further consists in the combination therewith of a picket that is formed of a rod of iron or other suitable material, said picket being adapted to pass through the openings formed in the bead of the rail, and to be secured thereto by being bent into shape corresponding to the concavity of the head, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a section of a fence embracing my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective of a portion of one of the rails, showing the manner of attaching the pickets thereto.

A represents a rail, that is formed of any suitable sheet, plate, or cast metal. In the center of this rail, and extending throughout its entire length, is formed a bead, B. This bead may be either semicircular, as here shown, or angular, or of any preferred shape. Above and below the bead B are the flat portions 0, the inner sides of which bear against the posts. In the upper and lower sides of the bead, adjacent to the flat portions of the rail, are made the apertures D, through which the pickets pass. Through the outer ends of the flat portions of the rail are made openings for the bolts, screws, nails, or rivets E, which serve to attach the rails to the posts or to each other, as shown at Fig. 1.

F represents pickets, which are preferably formed of metallic rods. These pickets pass through the apertures D in the bead, and are secured thereto by being bent into a shape corresponding to the concavity of the bead,

(No model.)

as clearly represented at G, Fig. 2. This mode of securing the pickets to the rails is extremely simple, cheap, and efficient, and produces a fence-panel of great strength and durability. The upper ends of the pickets are 5 5 preferably pointed and bent, as shown.

In Figure l I represent ground-rails H, in which the lower ends of the pickets are socketed, said ground-rails being provided with mortises I at their ends, for attaching'them to the protruding tenons K of the posts or anchors L, which are driven into the ground. Wedges or keys at pass through mortises made in the tenons, above the ground-rails, to prevent the latter from being vertically displaced. The ends of the rails A are secured together by the bolts or rivets E.

When it is desired to make a corner, the flat portions of one end of the rails are bent at right angles, as at N, to provide a means of attachment for the adjacent rails. By this construction I am enabled to dispense entirely with the costly fence-posts in common use, though they may be employed, if preferred, in which case the ground'rails H and the anchors L are dispensed with.

.No claim is made in this application to the anchors that are shown and described for securing the fence to the ground, as the said anchors are claimed in my application filed March 23, 1883, Serial N 0. 89,263.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. A rail, A, having the bead B, fiat portions 0, apertures D to admit the pickets, and the bent end N for the attachment of an adjacent rail, to form a corner, substantially as described.

2. The rail A, having the bead B, flat portions 0, and apertures D to admit the pick- 0 ets, in combination with the pickets F, having the bent portions G, for securing said pickets in the concavity of the bead, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 in presence of two witnesses.

' JAMES BRYANT.

Witnesses:

JAMES W. HARPER, JOHN W. BowLUs. 

